The effectsof using cognatesto teach english vocabulary to spanish speakers

Abstract

This research synthesis aimed to examine the effects of the use of Spanish-English cognates on the learning of English vocabulary by Spanish speakers. A totalof 21 empirical studies were collected to answer and support questions about the effects of using cognates to teach English vocabulary toSpanish speakers, the most effective category to teachEnglish vocabulary, the advantages and disadvantages of using cognates, and the teacher and student perspectives on the use of cognates as a way of acquiring lexicon in English. The results of this analysis revealed that through the use of cognates, specifically identical and similar cognates, the comprehension and development of vocabulary in English were effective for Spanish speakers. Similarly, it was possible to identify that cognates not only help in learning and expanding lexicon but also in speech processing, meaning inference, word recognition, word processing, lexicon acquisition, and student confidence. Therefore, both teachers and students agree that the use of cognates in the classroom is essential. Recommendations for future research on the effects of using Spanish-English cognates to teach English vocabulary to Spanish speakers and some practical implications are provided. It is worth mentioning that recommendations for future research on false cognates were proposed due to the ongoing debate among authors about their possible efficacy on vocabulary acquisition